Category: Uncategorized

Love Life x Mason Minds Matter Brings Campus Together for Suicide Prevention and Community Care

Written by Chelsea Xu, University Life Marketing and Communications. Photos by Patriots Thriving Together.

On September 23, more than 300 students, faculty, and staff gathered at Wilkins Plaza on the George Mason University’s Fairfax Campus for the Love Life x Mason Minds Matter Suicide Awareness and Prevention Event. The event was a collaborative effort led by Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), Patriots Thriving Together (PTT), Housing and Residence Life (HRL), and the George Mason Police Department (Mason PD). It also featured partners from Student Health Services (SHS), the Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC), TimelyCare, and the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being (CWB).

According to the National Institutes of Health, suicide is the second leading cause of death among college aged individuals worldwide and in the United States. The event aimed to promote mental health and well-being resources while raising awareness of suicide prevention support available to the George Mason community. It continued the momentum of the first Love Life event in September 2024, when CAPS partnered with campus organizations to celebrate life and connect students with care.

Assistant Director of Counseling and Psychological Services Calena Creft noted that this year’s collaboration between Mason Minds Matter and Love Life broadened the event’s reach and deepened its impact.

At this year’s event, Wilkins Plaza came alive with music, conversation, and creative activities. Attendees painted pumpkins at the Mason PD table, wrote and exchanged encouraging notes through the “Leave a Message, Take a Message” wall, and picked up free Insomnia Cookies and CAPS T-shirts after completing a resource “Bingo” card by visiting three participating tables.

For Demarcus Merritt, assistant director of Residence Life, the day carried both professional and personal meaning.

“It really felt like Mason came together for something bigger than ourselves – raising awareness, naming resources, and holding space for suicide prevention and community care,” Merritt said. “Every table created opportunities for people to pause, connect, and feel seen. It wasn’t just an event; it was an experience of what it means to take care of each other.”

Merritt shared that just before the event began, he learned that a former colleague had died by suicide. “Walking back into that event was hard,” he said. “Yet it also reminded me that being in community matters, especially when life hits you the hardest. I was reminded to check in on myself, to let others support me in my grief, and to lean into the same resources we were encouraging students to use.”

As the afternoon concluded, the message was clear: well-being is a collective effort. Love Life x Mason Minds Matter showcased how George Mason’s commitment to community care continues to grow – one conversation, connection, and act of compassion at a time. Building on that success, organizers plan to continue the partnership on a biannual basis, ensuring these conversations remain central to the George Mason experience.

Confidence Meets Opportunity at Fall 2025 Career Fair

By Tiffany Boggs and Mathilda Tataw, Student Media. Edited by Chelsea Xu, UL Marketing and Communications.

From September 29 – October 1, more than 5,000 George Mason University students filled Dewberry Hall in sharp professional attire and with polished résumés in hand—ready to take the next step toward their careers.

George Mason’s Career Fair, held each fall and spring semester, is the university’s largest on-campus recruiting event, connecting students with representatives from more than 100 companies and organizations. The event offers opportunities to explore internships, part-time roles, and full-time positions across a range of industries.

“These are opportunities to get right in front of the employers,” said Phillip Wilkerson, employer engagement consultant at University Career Services (UCS). “I like to tell students this is not a place where you can automatically get a job or a magic ticket. It’s a great way to build relationships, get business cards, and stay in touch.”

Photo by Emily Campos for University Life.

Wilkerson added that while the fair is about connections, success begins long before students step into Dewberry Hall. UCS offers one-on-one advising to help students refine résumés, craft cover letters, and practice introductions—transforming nerves into confidence. “Confidence comes with preparation,” he said. “The more prepared you are, the more confident you are.”

Mary Claire Kraft, employer outreach manager for UCS, expanded on that idea by highlighting the value of research and intentionality. “Number one, check Handshake, so that when students meet an employer they’re interested in, they can share one thing they know about them,” she said. “All of these employers are here to meet you—the student. There is no better expert on you than yourself.”

Iman Chaudhry, a sophomore majoring in management information systems, approached the fair with an open mindset. “I think it’s important not to limit yourself, even if you have a specific major,” she said. “There are still benefits to attending all days of the Career Fair.”

Lilliana Russell, a freshman majoring in civil and infrastructure engineering, attended her first fair eager to learn. She arrived early with a list of employers to meet and a curiosity about what her field has to offer. “I’m really just trying to scope out what the different companies in my field are and maybe score an internship,” she said.

Russell added that her nerves faded once she began speaking with recruiters. “Once I got to know everyone and saw how excited they were to talk with students, I let go of the preconceived notions about the event,” she said.

Brook Haiamr, a junior, offered simple advice for future fair attendees. “Go in with confidence, get your name out there, and show genuine enthusiasm,” she said.

Kraft closed with a final reminder: “Practice if it makes you feel comfortable,” she said. “But resist the urge to go robotic. Be authentic—they came to meet you.”

What’s next: Students can keep the momentum going at the Internship Fair on Thursday, October 23—another chance to research organizations, meet recruiters, and convert preparation into opportunity.

Meet the Mason Nation: TJ Pegg

This article originally appeared on The George on July 17, 2025 / By Lauren Reuscher. Edited by Chelsea Xu, UL Marketing and Communications.

TJ Pegg

Job: Associate Director for Student Success Coaching

Starting college can be an exciting and sometimes overwhelming experience. Life at a university presents new opportunities, challenges, and ways for students to find personal pathways to success. At George Mason University, the Student Success Coaching team helps students navigate the transition to college and make the most of their student experience.

TJ Pegg has been part of the Student Success Coaching team for five years. In May 2025, he became the associate director for the unit, working directly with the coaches who serve the general student population. In his prior role at George Mason, Pegg provided oversight for marketing, communications, and staff training for the department.

Coaching the coaches: An interest in supporting the holistic student experience drew Pegg to student success coaching. Pegg leads and supports the group of success coaches who meet directly with students throughout their university experience. His responsibilities draw upon his previous work at other institutions, which focused on housing and residence life, as well as advising student organizations.

“The work of success coaching translated nicely for me,” said Pegg. “We help students create a sense of belonging and to see how various campus resources can support their success in navigating college and life.”

Goal-oriented: All incoming freshmen and transfer students are assigned a success coach, and all students are eligible to make an appointment with a coach at any point in their academic journeys. Students often reach out for coaching appointments if they are struggling with time management or trying to foster their sense of belonging on campus, according to Pegg.

Some students naturally seek out success coaching, while others are referred to the office by other campus resources. Since fall 2020, Student Success Coaching has hosted more than 20,000 appointments.

“Student Success Coaching is here to help students make the most of their George Mason experience inside and outside of the classroom,” said Pegg. “We actively work with students to understand their own definitions of success, create goals, implement action plans, and connect with university resources to best support them.”

Setting personal priorities: Appointments with success coaches can cover a range of discussion topics from academic to personal matters—anything a student brings forward that affects their needs and well-being as a student.

“One student I coached for about a year was highly engaged on campus and worked on campus, but was struggling with time management and their own well-being,” Pegg said. After Pegg helped the student reflect on their goals, the student said that the coaching experience truly helped them navigate campus life.

“This student shared that some of the questions I asked helped them evaluate how to prioritize which things they needed to continue, as well as activities or experiences that they have grown out of and are no longer serving the right purpose,” Pegg said.

Group effort: Students may meet with a Success Coach in addition to the academic advisor in their degree program. Student success depends on an entire network of faculty and staff across the university, and success coaches themselves can gain insights and skills by working with other specialists across campuses.

First impressions: To connect with students and campus partners, Student Success Coaching hosts a “Kickoff to Success Resources Fair” during Welcome2Mason at the start of the fall semester. More than 20 university offices host tables during the event. Students can have an initial conversation with their coaches and speak with representatives from other units on campus. Campus partners can also take the opportunity to collaborate with success coaches on the best ways to support students.

“Students were energized and engaged with campus resources, and our team was activated and connecting with students,” said Pegg. “The event lets students know that they are not alone and have a lot of support behind them.”

Off the bench: Coaching is not just a resource when times are hard—but something Pegg encourages students to access throughout their academic journey.

“One of the biggest challenges is finding the best ways to connect with all students to help them understand the benefits of success coaching,” said Pegg. “We want students and staff to know that we’re here even when things are going well—not just when students need help.”

Can-do spirit: Outside work, Pegg enjoys spending time with his family and friends, traveling, and trying iced coffee at new coffee shops. A team player on and off campus, he also plays kickball and dodgeball in recreational sports leagues in Washington, D.C.

“This summer, I am pushing myself outside my comfort zone and playing volleyball,” Pegg said. Great coaches know that trying something new can open up a whole new set of possibilities.

Student Media Publications Awarded Top Honors by Associated Collegiate Press

Original article written by Student Media, February 24th 2025

Student Media is proud to announce that Hispanic Culture Review (HCR) has been awarded a 2024 National Magazine Pacemaker Award by The Associated Collegiate Press (ACP), the preeminent award in student journalism!

Volition, Mason’s undergraduate literary and arts journal, was named a finalist in the same category!

Congratulations to both journals for earning this tremendous honor!

Click here to download the full press release >

Unofficially known as the “Student Pulitzer,” the Associated Collegiate Press has awarded the Pacemaker to spotlight excellence in college media since 1927. According to the ACP website, this “prestigious award recognizes overall excellence and distinguishes the top student media produced during a particular school year.”

First published in fall 1990, Hispanic Culture Review is a bilingual literary journal at George Mason University that features poetry, essays, narratives, photography, and visual art in both Spanish and English. Celebrating more than 30 years of excellence, HCR’s mission is to bridge communication gaps and strengthen cultural bonds between English- and Spanish-speaking peoples by publishing original works from diverse creators around the world.

Since the first issue of Volition in fall of 2006 (formerly known as Apathy), the publication’s mission has been to unite Mason’s artistic community and serve as a showcase for undergraduate creativity. Publishing original poetry, prose, and visual art, Volition seeks to elevate emerging artists and writers while fostering free expression
on campus.

“Well-deserved but not surprising; both editorial teams consistently create publications that are the best of the best in college media journals,” said Mason Student Media Director Kathryn Mangus.

“I am extremely proud of Mason’s student publications and thrilled to see these two journals recognized nationally by the Pacemaker committee,” said Volition and HCR faculty advisor Jason Hartsel. “Each individual issue is the culmination of many hours of hard work, creativity, and hands-on learning by our talented students, and this award will no doubt inspire future teams to leave behind their own legacy of distinction.”

“It is a profound honor to support this amazing group of students as they share narratives that celebrate Hispanic culture and foster cross-cultural understanding—especially through Mason’s only bilingual literary journal,” said HCR faculty advisor Carla Burns. “I’m continually impressed by their dedication and so proud of this important accomplishment.”

Gary Lundgren, ACP associate director and coordinator of the Pacemaker competition, noted the quality of the winning student magazines rivals those produced by professionals: “The verbal and visual storytelling in the winning magazines is incredible and robust long-form stories combined with shorter quick-reads to pace the reader through the pages of the feature magazines,” Lundgren said. “And the creativity displayed in the literary arts magazines is incredible — the unique formats and creative designs make the magazines themselves a work of art.”

Comprised of more than ten unique student-run media groups that publish original content online and in print, George Mason Student Media "empowers students to exercise their First Amendment rights and creativity through the creation of works that inform, enrich, and entertain the Mason Community." Those outlets include Mason's official student newspaper, radio station, and television network, as well as seven journals/magazines, a sports broadcasting team, and student chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Learn more about Student Media by visiting studentmedia.gmu.edu or following @gmustudentmedia on X/Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

George Mason Homecoming 2025

Students and alumni celebrating the homecoming festival. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Day of Service (Feb. 5)

Giving back to the community was a key part of Homecoming. Students participated in various service projects, including

INOVA Blood Drive – Students donated blood to help local hospitals and those in need.

Pack the Truck – A food drive collected nonperishable donations for the Patriot Pantry and Food for Others.

Campus Gardens Harvesting – Volunteers worked at the Presidents Park Greenhouse, supporting sustainability efforts.

Additional Service Projects – Activities like plant pot decorating, snack bag packing, and cardboard composting provided more ways to make an impact.

Homecoming Comedy Headliner: Sarah Sherman (Feb. 6)

Saturday Night Live’s Sarah Sherman took the stage at the Center for the Arts, delivering a night of laughs. Students packed the venue for this exciting Homecoming tradition.

George Mason Competitive Cybersecurity

Original Story by Shayla Brown, Jan 27, 2025

Students from George Mason University’s Competitive Cybersecurity (MCC) club have dominated in multiple national competitions. The team got 1st place in the 2024 VMI CyberFusion and 2nd place in the 2024 Spring National Cyber League.

Next, the students will be competing in the inaugural DistrictCon Hacker Conference on February 21-22.

Club president Dylan Knoff working on routers. Photo provided.

“We'll be presenting live demos with our exploits in front of a judge and audience. So, we'll basically go from not having access to a certain device to showing that we can get access in the eight different attack vectors that we discovered,” said club president Dylan Knoff, a junior computer science major.

This demonstration is known as the junkyard competition, and the device they’re hacking is a router. In preparation for the demo, the team is conducting multiple analyses and rehearsing talking points for verification of their research.

“We basically ripped the firmware off of it, which is the code that runs on embedded devices like this one,” said Knoff, who participated in the International Cybersecurity Championship in Chile with the U.S. Cyber Team.

“We utilized hardware debugging interfaces on the device to both find potential bugs by analyzing our own local copy of the firmware and confirm their existence and exploitability by trying to trigger them on the live device and utilizing the debug interface exposed,” he said.

In addition to Knoff, his teammates Danyaal Shaozab and Ryan Murphy will also participate in the junkyard competition and other cybersecurity challenges including “capture the flag,” also called CTF, where the teams receive challenges, such as web app exploitation, binary exploitation, cryptography, reverse engineering, forensics, and a description that they must solve and then get a flag that is redeemed for points.

In September 2023, MCC hosted its own international CTF event, attracting more than 3,000 participants and 1,600 teams as well as hosted PatriotCTF 2024 attracting over 5400 participants and 2200 teams. The club practices are offensive cybersecurity, which is a type of ethical hacking used to evaluate and determine a system’s security, Murphy explained.

Club member Ryan Murphy working on routers. Photo provided.

Murphy, who transferred to George Mason from Virginia Peninsula Community College as a part of the Mason Virginia Promise, has been passionate about cybersecurity since middle school and participated in CyberPatriot, a national youth cyber education program.

“I'm still pretty new at George Mason, but it's been a really good experience so far,” said Murphy, a junior cyber security engineering major. “I got involved with the club from the get- go because they're a bunch of like-minded people and I’m really grateful for the opportunities the club and the university have offered me.”

The team will have two time slots and two presentations. They plan to do a dry run the day before the conference, as well as more analysis to solidify the information, said Murphy.

Shaozab is currently working as an associate vulnerability researcher at TFP0 Labs, a Reston-based security research firm. Shaozab’s role entails finding and exploiting vulnerabilities of various security systems and he compares his professional responsibilities to that of his club and school assignments.

“Working with Dylan and Ryan is great. We all have similar career goals, and it makes projects and assignments a lot easier,” said Shaozab, who is a senior cyber security engineering major.

Shaozab credits his courses, including CYSE 465 Transportation Systems Design, for helping him prepare for the upcoming competition.

“Dr. [Tanvir] Arafi is a very smart professor and a very talented individual in this field. His course really helped me hone my cyber techniques,” he said.

Shaozab explained that the team is focused on exploiting the [Control Area Network] bus, which is like the nervous system of a vehicle, allowing different components like the engine, brakes, and doors to communicate with each other. “Exploiting it involves sending malicious messages in the CAN bus to manipulate the car's function, such as unlocking doors or starting the engine,” he said.

“What made this particularly interesting to me is that I'm a huge car enthusiast, so being able to merge my passion for cars and cybersecurity was a unique experience. Getting hands-on with that in a classroom setting made it even more engaging. It’s rare to get that kind of knowledge taught in schools,” he said.

Meet the Mason Nation: Nandini Koka

November 22, 2024 / By Lauren Reuscher
Nandini Koka, MD
Job: Executive Director, Student Health Services

Nandini Koka joined George Mason University in April 2023 as executive director of Student Health Services, where she leads a staff of nearly 50, that includes doctors, nurse practitioners, counselors, and nurses. As a medical doctor with training in family medicine and urgent care, she is passionate about helping patients get better quickly and enhancing access to care. At the largest and fastest-growing public research university in Virginia, Koka has found a place where the need for that care continues to grow.

The doctor is in: In her role, Koka provides direction and leadership for Student Health Services to ensure students receive quality clinical care. She also serves as a medical advisor and resource to campus leaders on health-related matters. In a post-pandemic world, where many aspects of health care remain an urgent community need, her input is essential across George Mason's Campuses.

Helping the student body: Koka knows that learning is not confined to the classroom, and some of the biggest lessons can address a fundamental part of students’ lives: their health.

“I am excited to work at George Mason because of the opportunity to care for a diverse student population,” said Koka. “I want to help guide students as they become advocates for their own health and create goals to maintain a healthy lifestyle.”

Appointments on the books: Last year, Student Health Services had 16,500 student interactions—this includes in-person and telehealth visits, lab work, and nurse triage interactions across the Fairfax, Mason Square, and Science and Technology campuses.

Koka knows this number could go even higher. One of her primary goals is to increase awareness of the health services available to students.

“One of the biggest challenges we face is creating awareness around Student Health Services and the fact that we are a full-service medical clinic,” said Koka.

Addressing the body and mind: “We continue to see the need for mental health care as a challenge in the community,” said Koka. “Student Health Services has a unique approach to behavioral health, as we utilize a collaborative care model.”

In this model, medical providers partner with behavioral health counselors to co-manage the care of students. Koka says that this team approach has given students more touchpoints with clinicians and provides a more holistic care model.

Additionally, all patients who visit Student Health Services are given a mental health screening at their first visit, and once a year thereafter. Primary care providers are a key point to identify concerns related to mental health.

Finding ways to make it cost-free: Sexual and reproductive care is another critical area of need at Student Health Services. “We have partnered with a community organization to provide free sexually transmitted infection (STI) services to students throughout the semester,” said Koka. “We continue to look for ways to expand access to services for our students.”

Fostering a supportive community: A dynamic campus community is what brought Koka to higher education. “I have been able to interact with our students and see their excitement about being here at George Mason and wanting to be a part of this community,” said Koka.

Rest as part of health: Outside of work, Koka enjoys spending time with her family. “Our two daughters keep us busy with soccer and dance, and we have fun going to the games and watching the performances,” said Koka. To relax, she might go for a run, play with her dog, or try out new recipes.

Contemporary Student Services Receives NASPA Excellence Award

George Mason University's commitment to innovative and transformative programs has once again been recognized on a national scale. University Life’s Contemporary Student Services team has been selected as the NASPA 2024 Excellence Award Category Bronze Honoree, showcasing the university's dedication to serving its diverse student population.

NASPA, the leading association for the advancement of the student affairs profession, annually recognizes outstanding contributions to higher education through exceptional programs, innovative services, and effective administration. The Excellence Awards cover twelve categories crucial to student success and the growth of the student affairs profession, highlighting initiatives that address critical needs in various student demographics.

The Contemporary Student Services (CSS) unit, which supports off-campus, post-traditional, and military-connected students at Mason, stood out in the category for Commuter, Off-Campus, Military-Connected, Non-traditional, and Related students.

Launched in 2019, CSS was developed and continues to serve as a first-of-its-kind unit dedicated to serving the emerging and current contemporary student populations of Mason. CSS advocates, celebrates, educates, and serves to create and support a Mason community where each student belongs, realizes, thrives, and succeeds. CSS is intentionally collaborative across Mason and the broader community.

Contemporary students and their needs continue to evolve and accordingly, CSS has taken a “test and learn” approach to its work.

Part of this work is to ensure contemporary students have a “seat at the table” -- and that they are encouraged to share their experience and expertise with their student colleagues and the broader community. One example is CSS’ expanded student staff roles – a newly established Contemporary Student Ambassador position that provides students the opportunity for leadership experiences while being compensated for time, ideas, insights, and sharing experience.

Led by Director Joisanne Rodgers and Associate Director Shyama Kuver, Contemporary Student Services has become a cornerstone of the University Life vision that “Every Student Succeeds.”

“Receiving the NASPA Excellence Award is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our Contemporary Student Services team,” said Dr. Rodgers.“It reflects Mason's commitment to providing innovative and transformative experiences for all its students, regardless of their background or circumstances.”

GMU Esports Makes Name at NACE Finals

Cara Chiswell
December 5, 2023

CS2 Patriots Team: from left to right
(Top Row) Grayson Wood (’24), Christian Birkelback (’27), Max Laping (’26)
(Bottom Row) Sameer Khan (’25), Cody Crocker (’27), Andrew Crist (’25)
Photo by: Justus Johnson ‘25

Just one year ago, George Mason University Esports didn’t have a Counter Strike team. Now, Mason has one that’s ranked second in the nation.

Counter Strike 2 (CS2), formally known as Counter Strike: Global Offensive, is one of the longest running esports titles globally. It was first released in 2012, so it was no surprise that the students at Mason were hungry for a competitive CS2 team. So, during the 2022-23 esports year, Grayson Wood (class of ‘24), known in-game as “dr1ver,”took action.

Wood worked with the GMU Esports leadership team to develop what they thought would be a small CS2 community at Mason. However, after having a spectacular turnout for tryouts and seeing the love of the game present on campus, the GMU Esports leadership team decided to make CS2 a varsity game title. By elevating the teams from club teams to varsity, GMU Esports dedicated time, funding, and other resources to two CS2 teams named Patriots and Academy.

Shortly after, the CS2 Patriots team started to make waves.

The Patriots found initial success during the National Association for Collegiate Esports (NACE) conference Varsity Premiere group stage in Fall 2023. They suffered only one loss in the season, falling to Fisher College, and ended up in a three-way tie for first place in their group. Due to their skill throughout the season, the Patriots earned a spot in the Varsity Premiere playoffs, where they began to make Mason history.

After taking down Stony Brook University in the quarterfinals and defeating Kansas State in the semifinals, the CS2 Patriots punched their ticket to the NACE CS2 Grand Finals at Boise State in Boise, Idaho.

This win marked the first time in GMU Esports history that a team had qualified for the National Championships.

indigmuesportsteam — GMU Esports team member Audrey Irwin (’25)
Photo by: Cara G Chiswell ’24

The team flew to Boise State to face Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) on December 3rd, 2023, for their chance to win $2,500 and a school title. Unfortunately, after taking an early lead against RIT in the first game of the series, the CS2 Patriots ended the series 1-2 following two more nail-biter games.

Although they didn’t win the championships, the CS2 Patriots returned to Fairfax with their heads held high, proud of their second-place finish and all they had accomplished in the season.

Now, the Patriots are gearing up for the Spring 2024 NACE season, where they hope to maintain their momentum and return to the National Championship—this time to take home gold.

About GMU Esports:

GMU Esports is a departmental student organization within Student Involvement at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. The organization places strong emphasis on building a community around gaming for approximately 2,000 students at GMU, while competing at the highest level in seven varsity titles. Students compete in VALORANT, League of Legends, Rocket League, Counter Strike 2, Overwatch 2, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Call of Duty. For more information about GMU Esports, please visit https://si.gmu.edu/gmu-esports/ or follow GMU Esports on Instagram @gmuesports, GMU Esports on YouTube, and X and Twitch @gmu_esports.

Turkey and Syria Relief Efforts and Resources

The Mason community is deeply saddened by the loss of human life and the devastation of communities in Turkey and Syria – and we are equally humbled by the acts of courage, kindness, and determination we have seen.

If you have been affected by this disaster, Mason can help.

In support of Mason students, faculty, and staff who may have been impacted by this tragedy and in remembrance of those lives lost in the earthquake, University Life would like to host a candlelight vigil at the Clock Tower, Wilkins Plaza at 5PM (EST) on Wednesday, February 15, 2023. We hope you can join us in this campus-wide vigil as well as collaborate with us on collecting donation items to help with disaster relief.

The university offices listed below are committed to supporting student well-being and can serve as a valuable source of advice and aid to help you during this difficult time.

University Life Resources:

Student Support and Advocacy Center  for emotional and all emergency financial support
Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) for counseling support, both in-person and virtual
Office of International Programs and Services for international student support; a resource list to support those affected is coming soon

Donation Sites:

If you are in a position to donate money or goods to support relief efforts in the region, the following is a list of organizations gathered by members of the Mason community. (Please note that the university does not endorse any organization and encourages you to examine any organization carefully before making a donation at any time)

Advice on giving during international disasters from the US Agency for International Development – Center for International Disaster Information — https://www.cidi.org/how-to-help/

AFAD – Turkey’s official disaster and emergency management authority 

AHBAP – a non-governmental organization with search teams, serving basic necessities. 

AKUT – Volunteer/non-governmental organization in Turkey on the ground with search teams and rescue. 

GMU Brazilian Student Association

Islamic Relief USA

MedGlobal

Mercy USA, Launchgood 

Molham Team – Volunteer/non-governmental organization in Syria with on-the-ground search and rescue teams 

RedCross UK – working with the Turkish Red Crescent and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent to help across regions. 

Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS)

Syria Forum USA

Syria Relief and Development (SRD)

Turkish Embassy – Washington DC

Turkish Red Crescent

UNICEF-Turkey/Syria Earthquake